close loopholes for millionaires. obama and his liberal allies? we can't afford four more years. [ romney] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. good morning, america. clash of the candidates. governor romney and president obama face off on the economy, jobs, even big bird. the challenger, on offense. >> you're entitled to your own airplane, and your own house. but not your own facts. >> five weeks before the election, he's saying his big, bold idea is never mind. >> did romney turn the race around? our powerhouse political team here live with all the latest. home invasion. reports of shots fired at ashton kutcher's hollywood mansion. the s.w.a.t. team come in to arrest three employees at gunpoint. was it a high-stakes robbery or a hoax? meet the bully. the man behind the e-mail who

sparked national outrage. he's not backing down. what he's saying to her now. and how she's firing back. and let's get ready to rumble. two titans of television, o'reilly and stewart, just days away from their own supersmackdown. just hours before their faceoff, jon stewart is here, going head-to-head. and he's in a fighting mood. >> oh, yeah. it's on. little debate poster up there. good morning, america. glad to have lara back. elizabeth vargas here, as well. it was a big night for the white house. president obama and mitt romney facing off in the first crucial debate in denver. overnight polls give romney the

win. the question, now, will it boost him enough in those key battleground states? >> it was the most-tweeted event in social history. our political team is standing by with a full roundup of the night. and what this means for both candidates, with just 33 days to go until the final vote. >> we're closing in right now. and josh and sam, you had a special visit yesterday. robin tweeted out the first v picture since her transplant in the visit. >> sam and i went, hoping to raise her spirits. the morning after, our spirits remain raised. it was a beautiful afternoon. >> can't wait to hear more about it. let's get more about the first big debate. "your voice, your vote." our power political team is covering all of the angles. jake, even president obama's team is conceding that mitt romney gained ground last night. >> that's right, george. obama campaign officials conceding that romney seems more

polished. they say they expect he will get a bump in the polls. some obama allies telling me that the president last night seemed tired and bored. >> president obama and governor romney. >> reporter: it was a sweet start for the president, for what would end up something of a bitter pill. >> i just want to wish, sweetie, you, happy anniversary. and let you know, a year from now, we won't be celebrating it in front of 40 million people. >> i'm sure this was the most romantic place you could imagine. here with me. congratulations. >> reporter: and with that, former governor mitt romney began an aggressive prosecution of the last four years. invoking vice president biden's own word for what happened to the middle class. >> under the president's policies, middle-income americans are being buried. they're being crushed. >> reporter: and attacking the president's health care bill. >> i don't know how he could

spend his energy and passion fighting for obama care, instead of fighting for jobs for the american people. >> reporter: the obama campaign felt good about moments when the president directly addressed voters, looking into the camera to assail what he described as romney's medicare plan for vouchers. >> if you're 54, 55, you might want to listen. this will affect you. >> reporter: and faulting his challenger for being too vague in his plans to replace health care and wall street reform bill. >> is the reason that governor romney is keeping all these plans to replace secret because they're too good? is it because that somehow middle-class families are going to benefit too much from them? no. >> reporter: the debate was moderated in a zen, low-key style we pbs's jim lehrer.

when he included funding to be cut, he included lehrer's orrin programming. >> i like big bird. i like you, too. but i'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from china to pay for it. >> reporter: it was a debate full of numbers and domestic policy details. >> if the tax plan he described were a tax plan i would support, absolutely not. i'm not looking for a $5 trillion tax cut. >> now, five weeks before the election, he's saying that his big, bold idea is, never mind. >> reporter: george, up until last night, the obama campaign had succeeded in turning this from a referendum on president obama to a choice. and they were painting mitt romney as an unacceptable alternative. but that dynamic seemed to change last night. it seemed to be very much a referendum on president obama. and mitt romney presented himself as a credible alternati alternative. george?

>> that's what mitt romney wanted. let's get the view from the romney camp right now. david muir covers the romney campaign. and as we said, the polls giving mitt romney the win overnight. clearly, the romney team is happy. how do they capitalize on it going forward? >> reporter: i have to tell you, george, in talking with a key adviser overnight, one of the things i was struck by was he said our supporters are going to love this. you can't underestimate what he meant by that. the romney campaign has felt the heat from critics within their own party. the republican party, voices on conservative radio. there was ann romney saying, stop it. if you want to try it, get in the ring. all that is going to stop after last night. there was a sigh of rief in the party. and a celebration of what the governor accomplished on that stage. he put the president on his heels throughout the evening. put him on the defensive, which is what fellow republicans wanted the governor to do last night. the governor travels to virginia, to florida, the key swing states where he can

hopefully capitalize a statistical dead heat with the president. let's get to our insiders right now. matthew dowd. donna brazile, worked on the campaign for al gore. and nicolle wallace, who worked with the bush campaign. mitt romney came in, spent a lot of time preparing. and it paid off. >> there was some criticism he wasn't doing enough events going in. but they made the calculation which was accurate. moments like this can wipe the slate clean of what's going on in the last month. barack obama had a great month and a half. in one 90-minute period, this race went from a slight obama lead to a dead-even race. by monday morning, this race will be tied. >> a lot of people wondering, donna, a lot of the president's supporters. you see it on twitter and in the blogs, on television last night, where was the president? where was the fight?

>> he was a little rusty. after four years, he hasn't been in a debate situation. he won on poise. he won on grace. he won on substance. mitt romney came to play hard ball. mitt romney was on the attack. he was on the offensive. at the same time, he didn't land any big punches on president obama. president obama left a lot of what i call the good stuff in the locker room. >> the early polls of the viewers who watched said that the president lost. >> losing on attacks will not hurt the president for the american people that want to hear the substance. i think on those grounds, president obama did not lose the debate. >> this is so much like what happened to one of your former bosses, george w. bush, back in 2004. john kerry came in to the debates behind. took it to the president. the president recovkovcovered oe next few debates. what does the president's team say to him this morning? >> it's a dicey thing.

it's easy to forget that these men are human beings. they're demoralized by a bad night. buoyed by a great night. you have to build them back up. and the reality sets in pretty immediately, for any candidate. they know when they've done a bad job. they know when they've done a good news. the good news for romney is he didn't just do himself a world of good for republicans. republicans feel like we have a guy that can win this. he managed to frame the debate that does a world of good with independent voters. framing this election as a choice. really, a philosophical debate with the specifics underneath him, of what we know that romney can do about the role in government in american life, which is something that republicans felt would put romney on solid ground. >> he seemed to reach beyond that conservative base and really talked to independents about issues they care about. >> i think ultimately, they were

speaking to persuadable voters or undecided voters. as mitt romney starts to take leads in some of these battleground states, with my expectation he will, it's not over, a close race. the other thing that happened last night, there's been two factors at play. there's been the environment of the country, the large number of people that think we're on the wrong track. and the perceptions and images of the candidates. what happens last night was the images of the candidates, mitt romney evened that ground. when that happens, people say, when they're roughly even, why wouldn't i take a chance on the new guy? that's the difficult side that president obama has to get. he has to turn this around. >> he has two more coming up. donna, you're in the room with president obama today. what do you tell him? >> mr. president, have a good night's sleep. but guess what. you have two more debates.

look up and give it to mitt romney. also, talk about big bird next time. >> thanks very much. thanks so much, george. it was a huge night online for the debate, as well. the event was exploding, literally, on social media, setting a new record on twitter. bianna golodryga is here to break down all the numbers. the most tweeted about event in political history. >> reporter: 10.3 million tweets, elizabeth, in just 90 minutes. you and i were discussing. we've been reading tweets all night, too. blowout number there. a lot of people were criticizing the event as being too wonky. too inside baseball. we wanted to see what the google searches were. and they agree. simpson bowels, dodd-frank. and who is winning the debate? and finally, big bird. donna hit this when she brought up big bird. and look at how many people were

tweeting about big bird last night. 17,000 tweets per minute. >> they weren't just tweeting about big bird. they were creating new pages about big bird. >> that's right. fire big bird, a lot of people talking about that. it was the most tweeted about event and making history every night. >> is this a new trend we'll see for the following debate, as well? >> reporter: i'm sure. we have the vice presidential debate coming up, as well. >> it's literally like being in a focus group, watching the debate. you get to see what other people are thinking and feeling and weighing in. it's interesting to read the tweets as you watch the debates. >> reporter: exactly. >> and just ahead, we have jon stewart, with a big debate coming up, as well. first, let's get to josh and the breaking news. >> we're going to begin with breaking news in the middle east. nato calling an emergency meeting as tensions between syria and turkey boil over. turkey pounding targets inside

syria, reportedly killing soldiers, in retaliation for an attack on a border down which killed five civilians. there are mounting concerns that syria's civil war, is, if nothing else, is spilling over its borders. gas prices could soon hit $5 per gallon for millions of american drives. a refinery fire near san francisco and pipeline issues have tightened supplies in california. as a result, prices could rise some 30 cents in the next week alone. it looks like only drivers in california will be so affected. and there was a fire last night at the largest refinery in the country. the exxon-mobile plant in baytown, texas. it took crews almost four hours to put this fire out. the fire was at a diesel processing unit. no other production was affected. and slightly encouraging news for the millions of americans looking for a job today. private companies hired 162,000 workers last month. slightly more than expected,

although, not enough, to dent the unemployment rate. the service and construction industries actually saw the most growth. meanwhile, the government's jobs report will be released tomorrow. and we are learning more about a deadly meningitis outbreak that has spread to five states this morning. most of the 26 cases are in tennessee. four people have died. officials say the likely source is contaminated steroid shots for back pain produced by a massachusetts pharmacy. you see the front door there. it's suspended operations. health officials expect the number of cases to grow. and a monumental achievement in baseball. we have the first triple crown winner in almost five decades. miguel cabrera of the detroit tigers, tops in batting average, home runs and rbis. while modern statistician will tell you it's an outdated way to measure a player's value, only a

dozen players have done it. the last one, karl yastrzemski in 1967. to texas now. a committee rooting for a cheerleading squad. the squad's been banned from showing bible verses during games. now, headed to court. ryan owens has the story. >> reporter: in this small texas town, they worship two things. god and football. so, perhaps it only seemed natural the cheerleading squad without paint bible verses on the banners the players run through for every game. >> we find it encourages the boys. >> reporter: but it apparently offended someone. the unidentified person complained to an atheist group saying the bible banners advocated a particular religion. and that's unconstitutional. >> it's not a christian school. and they cannot misuse their authority. >> reporter: in response, the

school superintendent forced them to stop the scriptures. so, the cheer leaders put down the pom-poms and picked up a phone. calling the attorney. he says that the banners are not school-sponsored. that the girls came up with the idea by looking at the social networking website, pintest. >> it was student-led. >> reporter: this community is cheering for the cheerleaders. signs of support are all over town and online. this facebook page dedicated to their fight now has nearly 50,000 followers. that's 25-times more people than live here. when people say, these people came to a football game, not to church, what do you say? >> they have a right to say whatever they want to say. but i mean, it's our religion. and we want to portray that. >> reporter: texas is known for swift justice. and the cheerleaders are

counting on it. here at the courthouse behind me, they are hoping the judge will rule today. after all, there's a game here tomorrow night. they already have the banner ready. it has a scripture on it. the only question, will the judge let them use it? >> all right, ryan. thanks so much for that report this morning. now, to that dramatic day at the beach for one father and his son. they were struck by lightning when they were kite surfing florida. beachgoers ran for help. and we're hearing the 911 calls for help for the first time. matt gutman has the story. >> reporter: for a terrifying moment, 14-year-old kyle weltson thought he lost his father. >> there was a big, white flash. i dropped my kite. i looked over and saw him on the ground. >> reporter: bystanders began sprinting. >> his eyes were open. he was foaming from his mouth. and i didn't look at him anymore because i was scared.

>> is he breathing? he's turning purple. >> reporter: the father and son pair had been kite surfing near st. augustine, florida, when lightning strike hit out of the blue. he had also been hit, stinging from pain, kai sprung into action. >> dad, like, wake up and everything. and these people started running to him. >> anybody know cpr? >> tell them they need to do at least 100 compressions per minute. >> reporter: an ambulance arrived just minutes later. but he was in critical condition. >> they're putting i.v.s in him. >> reporter: those billion volts burned his skin. second-degree burns. but after a night in the icu, he survived. >> i'm feeling very thankful. i know, it could have been bad. >> reporter: and to celebrate, the duo intends to go right back out to kite surf.

for "good morning america," abc news, matt gutman, miami. >> thanks, matt. make sure the skis are completely clear. not even questionable. the pictures are in from montana. this from north dakota. there's snow and plenty of it. there's more cold air coming. we have about six to ten inches of snow in grand forks. fargo, one to three. the bigger story will be this cold air dropping into the south. we had places in the 80s. now, we'll have one-third of the country near the freezing mark by the time we get into temperatures. one more day of great temperatures like oklahoma city at 76. memphis at 82. new orleans, about 86. in comes that cold air.

>> good morning. i am jacqui jeras. n washington. i still a few light showers off to the east pyrrhic getting more of in charles county and an arundal county. giving way to some sunshine. looking for a little bit of that. between 78 and 82. a beautiful friday before the change. >> all of america's weather in the next half hour. coming up on "gma," a

s.w.a.t. team descends on ashton kutcher's mansion saying that shots were fired. and the viewer who criticized a local anchor's weig weight, speaking out. and jon stewart live in weight, speaking out. and jon stewart live in times square. you do! don't! i've washed a few cupcake tins in my day... oh, so you're a tin expert now. is that... whoa nelly! hi, kitchen counselor here. he's actually right... with cascade complete. see cascade complete pacs work like thousands of micro-scrubbing brushes to help power away tough foods even in corners and edges. so, i was right, right? i've gotta run. a cascade product has been chosen by consumers as best new dish detergent for multiple years. a cascade product has been chosen by consumers make sure you're there for sears columbus day mattress spectacular. get 36 month special financing. and save up to 60%, plus get an extra 10% off. and free delivery. this is eye opening. this is sears [ male announcer ] navigating your future can be daunting without a financial plan. at pacific life, we can give you the tools

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. it is 7:26. i am steve chenevy. it does bring to cost you more for your water if live in montgomery county or prince george's county.

the report the sanitary seeking a 10% rate hike next july. weather -- water could go up $7. as we told you earlier, yresident obama and mitt romne during the first debate denver.ht in mitt romney the can of aggressive and prepared. the president seemed to be more the defense. news channel 8 with a lot of in- depth report in a few minutes at 7:30. now we want to get a look commute. >> dealing with a significant and back up on northbound 95. it has moved off the roadway, but we are still seeing heavy that extend into 395 and into the district. maryland, no troubles on the beltway. delays.ume traveling on the beltway,

northbound accident at 193 on the left side. is causing northbound and southbound delays all the way to beltway from laurel. >> good morning. some sunshine. take a look at the nice orange streak there. a few lingering showers out there. off of them have pushed maryland. amount to much. maybe 0.10 inches for everybody. today.rm to 82 degrees. >> thank you. than 30be back in less minutes. than 30be back in less minutei moved to new york to work in fashion.

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wow. wow. that was a great opening. that was fantastic. >> you just lost, jon. never compliment your opponent. remember the debate a, b, cs. always be attacking. >> i think you're miss spelling attacking. >> are you saying the word attacking doesn't have a "c" in it? >> of course, it has a "c" in it. >> you just last again. >> behind the scenes in jon stewart's debate prep. he has a debate coming up with bill o'reilly. a scene from that showdown. robin's recovering from her

bone marrow transplant. >> i want to get a shot of the referees behind jon and stephen. can we get that back up? not jon here. you know, when he and stephen were rehearsing. the shirtless guys. this morning, the very latest on what may have been a huge hoax in hollywood. a s.w.a.t. team actually storming after ashton kutcher's home, after reports of shots fired. the s.w.a.t. team even holding his staff at gunpoint. you see one of them lying down in the driveway right there. a big investigation as to who made that call. so much reaction to that lacrosse, wisconsin, anchor, who spoke out after getting attacked. now, the person who attacked her in an e-mail, there he is. he criticized the anchor's weight. but he's not backing down. also on the show this morning, we're really excited about this. they're one of the funniest families in hollywood history, we dare say. the griswolds from the movie

classic "vacation." they are reuniting. and they're doing it right here on "gma." >> that's going to be great. that's coming up. let's get to the hollywood home invasion that may have been a high-stakes hoax. a s.w.a.t. team descending on ashton kutcher's mansion, storming his home after reports of shots fired. david wright has this story. >> reporter: the lapd is taking this very seriously. a manhunt under way for the people responsible. this is a new kind of prank called s.w.a.t.ing. spending a special weapons and tactics team to an unsuspecting doorstep. in this case, the doorstep belonged to hollywood's highest-paid actor on television, ashton kutcher. a massive police response, including a s.w.a.t. team, paramedics and a dozen l.a. police officers. gathering like heavily-armed paparazzi, outside the hollywood home of a star. >> officers at hollywood station received a message through the

tdd, which claimed that people had broken into the home. and they heard at least three shots. >> reporter: the report came in on a teletype for the hard of hearing. police say they don't know who sent it. three of ashton kutcher's employees were forced out of the residence and detained at gun point. >> someone called to mr. kuchar. he sent his assistant out to the police. >> reporter: kuchar tweeted he was safe on the set of his sitcom, "two and a half men." the latest victim of s.w.a.t.ing. >> s.w.a.t.ing is when someone calls 911 and say they're in the middle of a robbery or home invasion. >> reporter: another victim of s.w.a.t.'ing was a guest star on kuchar's show. lapd got a call about a kidnapping at her house. within 30 minutes, they realized it was a hoax opinion and cyrus wasn't home. >> people s.w.a.t. because they

want to watch the thrill of it. it's a power thing. >> reporter: perhaps this was a case of kuchar karma. in 2004, during the third season of the mtv show "punk'd," the show the actor created and hosted, actor chris klein came out to find a s.w.a.t. team outside of his house. only to discover that kuchar had punk'd him. >> i knew it. >> reporter: but law enforcement say wednesday's incident is no laughing matter. >> it's a very dangerous thing to do. police show up and they have a -- they believe they have a bad guy. and someone gets shot. >> reporter: unlike "punk'd" these are real cops with real bullets. a volatile situation where someone could get hurt. now, to an update on a story we brought you yesterday on "good morning america." local tv anchor jennifer livingston is fighting back after a viewer criticized her weight. now, the man behind that hurtful e-mail is speaking out.

and he is not backing down. jennifer has received support from our own abc station, wxow in lacrosse, wisconsin. and linsey davis has the story. >> reporter: it was the e-mail that sparked national outrage. >> it reads as follows. surely, you don't consider yourself a suitable example for this community's young people, girls in particular. >> reporter: and this morning, the man behind it finally has a face, with two bulging biceps to match. his name is kenneth krause. the viewer that took jennifer livingston to task for her weight. >> you know nothing about me but what you see on the outside. and i am much more than a number on a scale. >> reporter: on "good morning america" wednesday, livingston said a thyroid problem makes losing weight difficult, even though she regularly works out. >> he's trying to shame me into losing weight. that's not being helpful. that's being a bully. >> reporter: but krause is

unapologetic. urging livingston to take advantage of a rare and golden opportunity to influence the health and psychological well-being of coulee region children. >> i would like to get healthier. it's not about him. >> reporter: the apparent fitness buff concluded his most recent message by offering advice or support she would expect. >> there are a lot of people who are supportive that are positive and not negative. i'll reach out to those people. i don't know what, if any, help he could provide. >> reporter: livingston seems to have more support that krause. even the local abc competition, wxow cheered her on. >> i'm so proud of jennifer livingston. >> reporter: another person offering support is her brother, actor ron livingston, who says his sister has been a role model of his for many years. >> i got a text from him in the

morning. way to go, sissy. i'm so proud of you. >> reporter: for "good morning america," linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> that youtube video has gotten 2 million hits of her four-minute response to that young man. >> a lot of people reacting. a lot of people reacting. good morning, everybody. we're going to start with wind. big wind. damaging wind in the west. not just the west but the northwest, in particular. look at the pictures out of portland. we have video, as well. this has been a gusty, windy time. and it's bad. july through september, the driest on record in portland. with all of this dry wind, kicking up the fires. sparked some new ones in the overnight. we lost a lot of power in the overfight. there's more wind in that direction. some of it shifts to the east. fargo, rapid city, denver. 40 to 50 miles per hour there. and into the northeast, what starts as a little damp moisture will end up in the afternoon

with strong to severe storms. weep kooep an eye on >> good morning. i am jacqui jeras. a couple of sprinkles and light rain across maryland, the heaviest around st. mary's >> quick look at the big board. all that weather was brought to you by musenex. coming up, jon stewart's live here in times square. don't go away.

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let's get ready to rumumble. >> you like that? >> wow. that's nice, man. >> 7:41. this is how we roll at "good morning america." >> yeah. >> the presidential candidates not the only ones duking it out this week. "the daily show's" jon stewart and fox news' bill o'reilly, getting ready for a showdown. this saturday, half of all proceeds go to charity. it's called the rumble in the auditorium. what a great day to have you. what did you think of the debate last night? >> here's what i thought about the debate last night. and i say this in all respect. as americans, i think we can all

be very satisfied in knowing what happens in this election, we're going to have an incredibly good-looking president. that was some beefcake up there last night. the two of them. and when they take this into the swimsuit competition. there's not a country in the world, talk about -- put those two up against what? merkel? come on. it's a slam-dunk. >> absolutely. not only are they good-looking, but they're pretty smart. >> they're very smart. i'm sure president obama realizes, preseason's over. >> time to -- >> i should probably familiarize myself with my presidency. and learn some of the various numbers and things that go along with it. yeah. he had -- i thought he had a very difficult night. i'm concerned that he may not realize this. he may walk away. >> was that a take on his body language? that he had other things to do?

>> it wasn't so much as the body language as the mouth language. i used to think the pauses he was trying to think of smaller words for the little brains to figure out what he was saying. this time, i think the pauses were, i like food. he's thinking, my children are nice. he didn't seem present in the same way. >> right. all right. what's the takeaway for you, as we gear up for the rumble in the air-conditioned auditorium? >> i'm going to use the same strategy that obama took. it's the rope-a-dope. but instead of letting your opponent punch himself out, you get beat up. >> right. it's a great strategy. >> listen, o'reilly is 6'5", 250. it's like debating a yeti. you know? i just need to stay away from one of his paws. if he gets a paw on me, i'm done. >> it's over. >> yeah. i don't have that. so, i've got to do -- i train "rocky" style. >> you're small, though.

you're quick. >> you had to get that in there. you had to get it in there? small. >> compact. >> yeah. a lot of people would say, you know, good gravity. good balance. but small is also an adjective you can use. >> just one. >> sure. >> you called him a yeti. he needs to defend himself. >> people on tv don't realize, people are small. regis philbin, people don't know this. 11 inches tall. the angles that people do. i'm a man. i'm a full-grown -- when i walk down the street, people don't go, oh, my god. how does that guy get juice? i'm going after him. when i'm done with o'reilly, he'll convert to judaism. this guy's going down. >> this was his idea? >> this was his idea. i got a call from him one day. just a phone -- my phone wasn't even plugged in. it just rings. that guy's magic. stewy, o'reilly, debate.

>> not a lot of choice in the matter. >> listen, i'm a small, quick man. >> he's on your show tonight. >> he's on tonight. >> to promote it. and 14 times you have been on each other's shows. >> is that true? you have the internet. >> yes. i have the internet. >> and google. >> i googled last night. we did some research. we have a little sampling of your magic together. let's take a little look. >> let's do this. >> your respect grows for me in leaps and bounds. you're like the grich when he realizes they don't need presents. your heart grows. you love me because you know we come from -- we're the same people. you want this date to go on forever. >> so, despite the differences -- >> i didn't realize the sexual tension was so strong. >> yeah. >> that's the most disturbing part about that. >> i dare say -- >> a little something-something going on. >> could it be a mutual respect? >> i love talking to the guy. he's smart. he's funny.

it always strikes me as bizarre the idea that the people you disagree with you, you'd should not ever engage with. i have people in my family that make that guy look like che vergara. i love them. it's not anything like that. i think he comes by his views honestly. i disagree with him. i will shut him down. he will weep, most likely like a child. but that's not the important part. the important part is we're going to have fun. a good conversation. jim lehrer is going to moderate. >> it will be wild. >> obviously, can get a -- i need to go, too. i don't -- i need to go, too. >> you're very -- >> i'm busy. >> you're incredibly busy. >> yes. >> you have another event you wanted to talk about. >> the night of too many stars. raises money for autism education programs. everyone, this is for the families to support them for all they have to go through.

>> october 21st. tonight, bill o'reilly. thank you, jon. tonight, bill o'reilly. thank you, jon. >> thank you so much. the flu. that's why i'm knocking things off my to-do list. vitamin d, done! hand sanitizer, done! hey, eric! i'm here for my flu shot. sorry, didn't make an appointment. well, you don't need one. whether it's flu shots or prescriptions, we continue to accept express scripts and medco plans. i'm bonnie, and this is my cvs. i didn't want to change toothpastes. i already had a product that made my mouth feel clean. why am i going to go and change it? the first thing he recommended was that i use sensodyne. sensodyne helps with the sensitivity issues and at the same time it gives you the clean feeling. your mouth feels fresh. sensodyne satisfies the needs that i would look for in a toothpaste. i definitely feel like i can be myself now. i don't have the same pain i did.

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wouldn't we see it in his priorities? trust me, jon stewart was a lot better than "the play of the day." go nowhere. vacation cats, next. [ alarm clock ringing ] [ female announcer ] if you have rheumatoid arthritis,

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to pay for government-run healthcare, you'll pay higher taxes and more for your medicine. and their plan includes a trillion dollars in higher taxes. even on the middle class. mitt romney and common sense conservatives will cut taxes on the middle class. and they'll close loopholes for millionaires. obama and his liberal allies? we can't afford four more years. [ romney] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. it is 7:56. i am steve chenevy. there will be a prayer vigil tonight in gaithersburg for victims of the d.c. sniper ago.ks 10 years 10 people died during the three spree in october 2002. convicted sniper john allen was executed seven later in 2009. fellow sniper lee boyd malvo continues to serve in prison.

police searching for this 17 underld who disappeared unusual circumstances. bryan glenn last seen monday morning at his high school in fairfax. nearby ated car found about a mile from the school. morechannel 8 will have and an in-depth report coming up the hour. of let us get a look of the roads with angela. looking at a lot of slow traffic on the north side of the beltway in maryland. as a report to 70, an accident on the ramp. in the meantime, traveling in virginia, police say four vehicles involved in the crash, washington parkway southbound. what us send it over to jacqui jeras. hello. will be getting better and .etter a showers andith county, calvert county,

mary's county. but it is going over the bay and out of your. 72 at reagan national. warming up into the 80's. morning clouds and afternoon sunshine. .eautiful day cooler for the weekend. >> thank you.

♪ found out long ago the harlem gospel choir. there they are. "holiday road." you remember where that's from? >> i do. >> you do? it's on your prompter. from "vacation." the cast is coming back today. >> they add a little bit of class, don't you think? we're kicking off our all-star reunion blowout series with the whole cast from the movie

"vacation." cameron mathison and jess cagle are here. >> is that the patch? at broadway square? >> the patch is back. >> we thought we would surprise you when we got out there. >> okay. who else is back, sam? >> you've been asking for it out there, in television land. an update from robin this morning. this is the first picture she's put out since her transplant. she's recuperating nicely. i think they would say she's exactly where everyone would expect her to be. >> we brought her part of the patch there. >> is that a -- it is. >> josh and i made a little style delivery, by the way. it's all about the spirits and the style. and robin has some under the sea sleepwear now. >> they were a big hit. >> a big hit on the walk around the hall last night. and froggy footwear. >> and let's go with hash tag

team froggy slippers now. >> if you want to know anything or everything that's going on with robin, she will update her blog later this morning. you can get to it goodmorningamerica.com/robin. >> and something we were just saying, lots of laughter. >> great. >> hours of laughter. her spirits are up. >> you have just made all of our morning, i'm sure. we've been hearing so many people wondering how she's doing. hi, robin. we miss you. i just had a ding. that was for you. also coming up today on the 8:00 -- in the 8:00 hour, bombshell revelations from nicole kidman. she is opening up on what really happened after she split with tom cruise. why she says she doesn't regret a moment of their marriage. >> we'll get to that. first, let's get some news from josh. >> we're going to head back to denver, beginning with mitt romney's new momentum following last night's debate there. romney sparring with the president over jobs and the

economy. one point of strong disagreement, taxes. take a listen. >> when you add up all the loopholes, and deductions, that upper-income individuals are currently taking advantage of, you don't come close to paying for $5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in additional military spending. >> if a tax plan he described was a tax plan i was asked to support, i'd say absolutely not. i'm not looking for a $5 trillion tax cut. i said i won't put in place a tax cut that adds to the deficit. >> romney and obama return to the campaign trail today. virtually everything that was said last night, we will have a full update this morning. meanwhile, a big story developing overseas right now. troops in turkey are firing on syria, reportedly killing several soldiers in the process, in revenge for wednesday's attack on a border town. the violence, adding to growing

concerns about syria's bloody civil war. we have a health alert for you. the generic version of a popular antidepressant is being pulled off the market. the fda says that it doesn't work as well as the brand-name drug, wellbutrin and could cause side effects. regulators said in 2008, the pills were essentially the same. someone thought they could grow two football fields of marijuana in plain sight on the south side of town. and they did until yesterday. some of the plants, as big as christmas trees. street value, $10 million. guys, finally, you remember the woman who took it upon herself to restore that priceless church fresco in spain. the disastrous result, we have

there. it went viral. the painting has become a huge tourist attraction. and guess what? just in time for halloween, take a look at this. >> i love it. >> you can celebrate the restoration work in costume form. there's going to be no finer halloween costume. >> i would wear that. >> i claim it. >> sam has dibs. >> we'll both go. welcome back to "pop news." >> thank you. sam, thank you so much for doing pop news. anytime you want me to do weather. i wouldn't recommend it. but i would for you. let's get to it. good morning, everybody. here we go. remember this? ♪ you're the one that i want you are the one i want ♪ ♪ woo, woo, woo, honey >> another great halloween costume idea.

that's danny and sandie singing in "grease." admit it. >> i loved olivia newton-john. loved her. >> never hotter. >> 34 years later, olivia newton-john and john travolta could be having another run-up on the charts. olivia saying time for a sequel. they're reuniting for a new christmas album song to follow up their classic hit. can't wait to hear that. you're the one that i want. >> you're the one i want. ooh, ooh, ooh. in other "pop news," twihards rejoice. we had the new movie poster. and the pictures from the final installment. there's no rift on the screen between kristen stewart and robert pattinson. the married vampire couple, seen getting very close. they're also seen back there

with their on-screen daughter, who they must fight to keep in the final installment of the saga, which hits theaters november 16th. >> i'm into that. >> i am, too. >> i did read the whole series. >> i do, too. >> it's personal share day, everybody. and beckham recently crowned sexiest man in a suit. how does he top that? how about when he's caught in his undis. some lucky star-gazing tourist got more than they bargained for. >> how about david beckham in his underwear. come on. >> he's out in public. he's acting all shy there. the soccer star shooting an underwear commercial. becker, no stranger to show off that toned bod. you can see him smiling if you look closely at those photos. although, that's not what we were looking at.

>> it looks harder to catch him in a suit. >> with clothes. it's like spotting. >> extra rare. that's the get. exactly. we've all been there. it's the end of the day. long day. you need to make a call. you want to snap a photo with your phone and the battery is dead. it happens to me, feels like daily. now, a new stylish solution to the problem. it's called ever purse. we have a demo here. it is a clutch. you drop your smartphone in it. and it powers up. inside, there's a battery pack. >> that would be great for george. >> it has enough juice to fully charge an iphone twice. a chicago social worker invented it after she had trouble getting through the day without her battery dying. she says there may be ever pants coming in the near future. >> that sounds dangerous. >> sounds like some equipment could get injured in the process. >> nope. >> it starts at $99. it can be preordered on the kick

starter website. that's "pop news." so good to be back. >> welcome back. great to have you back. hey, sam. >> it was beautiful. i can't even -- oh, my sorry. we were just talking. hey, josh. josh, i have a question. mary's here from fresno, right? >> yeah. merced. >> don't you have something fresno's supposed to do when you get on "gma." >> you bring the signs, central valley. you come on in. >> we take you inside. and josh will chat with you guys. >> i love my people. >> i had no idea that josh had a fresno thing going on. >> let's get to the boards. one or two things happening we want to tell you about. as we look outside, get ready for a cold blast of air. i'm trying to get your attention with this. from 75 in chicago to 48 on saturday. look at dallas. 58 from 87 today. new york city, on sunday, 58 from 80 on friday. this is a big, big, big deal,

with this first push of cold air. look at the nighttime temperatures. tonight, bismarck at about 22 degrees. that's the weather. get ready for that chill. >> good morning. i am jacqui jeras. showers moving over. the eastern shore. what over in st. mary's and calvert counties. we will be done with the ring shortly. actors mild. 73 at reagan national. we will warm up. to 82. see it of sunshine by afternoon. your seven-day forecast. tomorrow a winner >> there is so much ahead on "good morning america." and no one can tell you letter than our lara spencer. >> sam, thank you. here's a look at what's coming up on our "gma morning menu." nicole kidman is speaking out.

what she says really happened after her split with tom cruise. our all-star reunion coming up. it is a blowout with the cast of "vacation." and one doctor's advice on breaking the hunger fix. all that and more coming up live on "gma," right here in times square. ♪ (female announcer) the lunchroom. it's the closest thing to a free-for-all,

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my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can do more of the things that i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain.

i need all the help i can get. i tell them, "come straight to the table." i say, "it's breakfast time, not playtime." "there's fruit, milk and i'm putting a little nutella on your whole-wheat toast." funny, that last part gets through. [ male announcer ] serving nutella is quick and easy. its great taste comes from a unique combination of simple ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. okay, plates in the sink, grab your backpacks -- [ male announcer ] nutella. breakfast never tasted this good. [ male announcer ] nutella. how do you get from here... let's say you want to get ahead in your career. to here? at university of phoenix we're moving career planning forward so you can start figuring that out sooner. in fact, by thinking about where you want your education to lead,

while you're still in school, you might find the best route leads somewhere you weren't even looking. let's get to work. 8:15, welcome back to "good morning america." and nicole kidman opening up in a new interview about her marriage to tom cruise and the depression she plunge into when they split up. in the interview, she expressed the intimate details in their struggle to have a family. they are the bombshell revelations from hollywood a-lister, nicole kidman. speaking candidly for the first time about her failed marriage with tom cruise, her battle with depression, and struggles with infertili infertility. opening up in the australian magazine, "who." i got married really fast and really young, who was 23 when she tied the knot.

when, then it didn't work out, i had to dig deep and work my way through depression. i have no regrets about all of it. it was all part of growing up. kidman said part of her depression came from her inability to conceive a child. still, she says he doesn't regret the relationship because, quote, it got me bella and conner, the two children she and cruise adopted together. she called the 11-year union, a fantastic marriage for a long period. in 2001, she said this to diane sawyer. >> i refuse to let it make me bitter. i completely believe in love. >> reporter: and love she found. kidman married keith urban in 2006. gave birth two years later. her second daughter with urban, was born through a surrogate in 2011.

kidman goes on to say, so, the way it happened with sunday was like, what? the percentages were so low. it is the miracle in my life. >> she wants people to know, yeah. i'm a huge superstar. but i'm going through struggles just like you. >> everything you need to know about hillary has been in the papers is here in these boxes. >> reporter: with a new life and a new movie on the way, kidman is even talking about cruise's latest divorce. putting lid on speculation she has counseled katie holmes. kidman says, i never spoke to her. i wish them well. but i was never involved in any of that. ♪ magnificent harlem gospel choir. that's the theme song from one of our favorite movies, "vacation." perfect overture for our all-star reunion blowout.

cameron mathison, you're starting us off today. >> i do. and it was -- the cast reunion. but i have to tell you guys, it felt a lot more like a family gathering. this was an extremely funny family. the cast, chevy chase, beverly d'angelo, and michael anthony hall. they have a family vibe after all these years. >> taking the kids crosscountry, this is the vehicle you should be using. >> reporter: it's one of the funniest comedies of all-time. >> why aren't we flying? >> because getting there is half the fun. you know that. >> reporter: and it screams 1980s america. "vacation." >> she was born without a tongue, clark. don't you worry about her. she whistles like a bird and eats like a horse. >> when they close the road they put up big signs, like this one. >> reporter: the story of the

griswold family, on their epic cross-country quest to get to wally world. >> we're closed for two weeks to cln and repair america's favorite family fun park. >> reporter: now, a reunion with the original cast 30 years in the making. chevy chase, beverly d'angelo, anthony michael hall, and dana barron. one thing is immediately clear. this crew is downright funny. >> they're doing a gag. you can't fool me, buddy. i know you're taping. >> reporter: watching you guys, it's like the chemistry never stops. you had so much fun at the photo shoot. >> nothing. now, we are starting. >> reporter: right now? what's also clear is that i'm just along for the ride. is this what it was like on-set, shooting "vacation"? on some level? tell me about it. >> i don't remember anything. >> for me, it was laughter and

listening. and my goodness, did he just say that? it was a family experience for me. we were on vacation together. >> by the way, we were driving. >> literally. >> filmed this cross-country. >> we had a place to play. >> must have passed away somewhere near flagstaff. you want me to strap her to the hood? what's the difference? she'll be fine. not like it's going to rain or something. >> reporter: much of that comedic family atmosphere, they credit to harold ramis, who welcome e ed ad-libbing on the . >> bow your head. hallelujah. >> clark? >> honey, i'm not an ordained minister. i'm doing my best. okay? >> reporter: was that written? or was it -- >> it's just harold saying, try

that. >> reporter: slap yourself in the face with the baloney sandwich seduction dance. how did that come about? >> it just came about. >> that's just him. >> she's dancing to some music coming out of her car. and i have the sandwich. and i started to dance a little. >> reporter: like the bow loney. a young anthony michael hall's career was about to launch. >> this movie gave me a start in everything. and i remember laughing and having a great experience the whole summer. >> when i was your age, my dad shared a beer with me. and i thought it was about the best thing in the world. >> reporter: i could tell it wasn't his first beer he drank. >> i remember that take. michael kept drinking and

drinking. everybody just lit up and went -- got it. >> yeah, fun. >> reporter: and underneath all the comic asides, there's an unmistakable feeling of family here. >> chevy's a genius and my dear friend. and i'm so glad that the four of us can all be together at the same time. it was a special time. you hope that you can touch somebody's life in some way. and you don't think you're going to do it, unless you're getting an oscar for it. >> i did it for the greeks and for the chinese. >> reporter: all that's good must end. but a "vacation" reunion wouldn't be complete without a little mockingbird. ♪ mockingbird everybody have you heard ♪ ♪ have you heard if that diamond ring don't shine ♪ ♪ don't shine going to buy me a diamond ring ♪ ♪ going to buy you a diamond ring ♪

>> that was awesome. >> sorry, folks. park's closed. the moose out front should have told you. >> reporter: i did find out there was an alternative ending. the original ending had them taking the wally world president captive at gunpoint and forcing him to ride all of the rides, which didn't go well with the audience. they reshot it six months later. and michael anthony hall had grown six inches. so, they had to reshoot it. >> that original ending sounds a little dark, frankly. >> inspired idea to bring these guys back together. tell us what happened behind the scenes? >> we were so excited to do it because "vacation" is one of those movies that you don't see over an over all the time. it's not. we don't know a lot about what happened to these guys. you know, that cameron was on tv with.

but we know they had a happy ending. there's no tragedies there. they were very happy to see each other. they have gotten together over the years. but just a couple times. and the kids were played by different actors in all of the sequels. >> right. >> but this original cast of "vacation" has remained fairly close and in touch. anthony michael hall did a little spot on "community," with chevy chase. and when chevy chase got to the photo shoot, he looked around. i think he saw all of the other actors and said, are we here for "caddyshack"? i don't know where his head was that day. >> that sounds like chevy chase. and "clueless" is tomorrow. "melrose place" on monday. thank you, george. a lot of people who have been dieting may ask themselves are you addicted to food? am i addicted to food? a new book called "the hunger fix," answers that question and

helps solve the problem. >> reporter: when it came to food, she was powerless. >> i would get wings, wolf fries with cheese and gravy. >> reporter: at 22 and 316 pounds, she decided to go on "the biggest loser." >> go. >> reporter: she lost an astonishing 155 pounds. but soon, the weight came back. and she realized, she was a food addict. dr. pamela peak's new book, "the hunger fix," describes how food is like a drug. how could a cupcake have the same addictive qualities as cocaine? >> it's a combination of stachy, fatty, in the foods. you're se streeting lots of dopamine. and it's coming out and it's giving you a fantastic feeling of wow. this is wonderful. >> reporter: for some people, the pleasure receptors turn off. for others, it keeps reacting,

wanting more. but dr. peeke says you can retrain your mound, using the three ms. mind, mouth, muscle. step one, strengthen the mind. medication can help reduce that urge to splurge. step two, trick the mouth. instead of a protein bar, try a protein smoothie. step three, move your muscles. by working out, your brain is rewarded by endorphins, instead of empty calories. she is back in recovery. working both her mind, and her body. for "good morning america," juju chang, abc news, new york. >> that is fascinating. coming up, chris powell is getting ready to surprise a man who dropped more than 100 pounds. wait until you see how he looks. he's coming up next. don't go away. "good morning america" continues right after this.

>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. it is 8:27. i am steve chenevy. gop presidential nominee mitt romney will campaign in the -- today after a solid performance night's first presidential debate. that the race is thetening in some of states where obama n advantage.a speaking of virginia, in the states senated kaine appears to be lead againsts george allen. finds 49% supports kane. 44% supports george allen.

check on their commute. >> we are looking at a solid the beltwayling on as youce for this county head into virginia. delays of pennsylvania avenue. ofjust reopened a couple lanes. meantime, traveling in mostly volume delays washingtonge parkway. north andcidents southbound. and 395 and 95 from springfield into the district. jacqui jeras has a look of our forecast. morning. are pretty overcast. mild.mperatures pretty 73 at reagan national. 66 in martinsburg. g clouds and a few gowers we have had will away. little bit of sunshine by this afternoon. to 82. seven-day forecast shows the -- the best day is friday.

rain late saturday and into sunday. highs in the 60's. thank you for watching. we are back again at 8:56 with update for you then.

[ cheers and applause ] up close and personal with josh elliott. >> did you just fog up that lens? >> it's probably against union rules. >> i'm sorry. my grievance. i'll take that one. >> good crowt. there'"clueless" right there. we're going to have an all-star reunion with them on monday. we had so much fun. >> i can't wait for that. >> you're on the freeway. >> i can't wait for that. >> a dramatic reading. that was good. >> you could have been in that movie. really impressed. >> he was a teen model.

i don't know if anybody knew that. >> still looks like a teen model. robin is recovering from her bone marrow transplant. elizabeth vargas here. and we have chris powell hiding out. where is he today? there he is. very subtle, chris, among the crowd. ready to surprise a man who lost, get this, guys. more than 100 pounds in just a few months. wait until you see how he looks now. and he did it the good, old-fashioned, healthy way. changing eating habits and working out. travel deals. becky worley has some things. can you call the front desk and negotiate your bill down? these are things that you never thought of. but becky worley did. we have that coming up. >> i love that. and more deals. bargains everywhere. tory johnson is here with great "deals and steals." clothes and toys for your kids. >> all right. first, let's get to our inspiring special report, "erase the weight." if you ever thought that slimming down to your ideal

weight would take you forever, meet edwin valez. he did that in a remarkable four months. all with a simple diet and an exercise program. look at his plan. >> i've always been the bigger guy in every situation. the older i got, the more self-conscious i became about my weight. food was my go-to. stress, school. i would eat and sleep was my weakness. after cruising to the bahamas with friends, i looked at pictures. i hit the max i've ever been. i was close to 300 pounds. i knew i had to do something about it. i woke up one morning. i was like, i'm going to do this. i'm going to do it now. first week, i walked just 45 minutes. tried to pick up the pace a little bit. when my breathing got hard, slowed it up. in march, i ran my first 5k. i ran three miles every day.

now, we go out to eat all the time with friends. it's normal for me to choose something healthy off the menu. it was out of control. you have to dedicate yourself. dedicate, determination, and you will not disappoint. you can make that possible. >> all right. we spin our magic scale to see how much weight he lost. he lost 140 pounds in just 4 months. let's bring out edwin now. >> wow. come on over, edwin. come on over. take a seat. you look fantastic. congratulations. what made you decide to do this? you said you actually saw some pictures of yourself after a vacation. and that was your revelation. >> yeah. me and some friends went to the bahamas. on the way back, we were like,

let's look at the pictures. i saw myself. and i was like, i have to get my weight under control. >> what changes did you make? >> i did a complete change in what i ate. and i started exercising. i'm incorporating a lot of cardio into my routine. >> you eliminated a lot of white carbs. >> i did my rule. if it's white, i didn't eat it. no potatoes, no bread, no pasta. >> did you eat multigrain? >> in the beginning, no. now, i eat whole grains, low-carb pasta. >> were you counting calories? >> portion sizes, too. i went from eating a lot to eating a healthy-sized meal. >> and you said sugar was a temptation you had to give up. >> snickers cars and reese's and that candy. >> you did cardio. you were running about three miles every day. you added to that weight training, which builds muscles. how quickly did you see the weight fall off of you? >> around new year's, everybody

was like, you're losing weight, aren't you? i'm trying. the first three weeks was about 15 pounds. after that, just motivated to keep going. >> what was your goal? i'm curious. >> the same group of friends that went on the trip in november, we planned a trip in march. i wanted to see a big difference from november to march. and it was 100 pounds. >> your goal was to lose 100 pounds in those 4 months. but you actually lost more than that? >> yeah. to this day, i've lost 140. >> you have said -- congratulations -- that your dream job was to be chris powell on "extreme makeover: weight loss edition." we have a surprise for you. here's chris. chris, come on out. >> edwin. come here. >> we wanted to surprise you. >> congratulations. look at you. >> oh, my gosh. dude. wow.

congratulations. >> thank you. >> you are officially what we call a centurion. you lost over 100 pounds. you and you did it so fast, by yourself. >> does it surprise you how quickly he did it? >> that's the kind of stuff we do on the show. with me on top of people, pushing them through it. you did it on your own. you did it by yourself. that's the magic in this whole thing. it's you. >> does this mean anybody can do this just by making simple changes? edwin woke up one morning and decided to stop eating white carbs and sugar and to start running. >> you just said the magic word. simple, tiny changes. i'm listening to your story. you got out and you walked. simple like that. just get out and walk. maybe a couple of tiny changes in your diet. and let your body change from there. you don't have to do all of the things at once, do you? >> it's a process. you have to start from the beginning and keep going. i used my three "ds." determination, dedication, with a lot of discipline.

>> discipline is key. and starting with being realistic. you just pointed out, chris, edwin, you started walking and then graduated to running and weight work. it wasn't like, let's do a marathon today. >> i'm running about 5k in 20 minutes now. when i started back two years ago, 48 minutes, almost crawling the 5k. i'm scared to run with you. >> that says a lot. edwin, congratulations on your weight loss. you look amazing. >> you're gunning for my job, huh? >> that's my dream job. >> go ahead to motivate me to drop and give you ten. >> drop and give me ten. >> all right. >> one, two, three. four, five, six. seven, eight, nine, ten. >> chris powell, thank you so much. you can get chris' new book,

"choose to lose." it's on sale in stores now. let's go to sam and his final check of the weather. >> we're basically burning calories right now standing up. i feel good. i feel slimmer right now, just standing here. i'm burning off the morning breakfast calories. let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to show you. we'll start with the montpelier, vermont, shots. gorgeous fall color. and we go to where the skies are actually red. here comes cooler temperatures in the west coast. and it's really going to be a remarkable difference. vegas is 91 today. but slowly, slowly this cold front's going to make it all the way down into the deep south, as well. dallas, look out. your numbers are changing. here's your day today, at 87 degrees. memphis, 82. atlanta, 81 degrees. but this cold air is going to make its way down to the deep south and even east. stay up with you

>> good morning. i am jacqui jeras. kennedy drew restart. showers moving off to the east. looking for >> all of that weather was brought to you by the university of phoenix. elizabeth? >> sam. top-secret insider trips >> sam. top[ male announcer ]ips for the dreamers...

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so much fun. we're back with everything you need to know before you check into a hotel. "reader's digest" is packed with insiders advice to save you time, money and headaches in all areas of your life. becky worley brings you the secrets that the hotel desk clerk will not tell you. >> reporter: a new city, a new hotel. this is it. but getting a good room, for that, you need the inside scoop. let's start way before you arrive. first, check prices at the hotel site and at online travel site

to get a sense of the published rates. but don't book yet. call the hotel using their local number, not the 800 reservation number. the front desk person who answers has way more room to help you get a good rate. but one secret. don't call between 9:00 and 1:00. that's prime checkout time. that's when these people are busy. next secret, he or she needs to be your best friend when you check in. here's how to work this. smile. no matter how horrible the trip in was. don't ask for a free upgrade right away, especially when other people are within earshot. instead, be specific. would it be possible to get a room that's quiet? a room requewith a view? a room with a big bathroom? a room close to the elevator. after that, start working the freebies. free breakfast. free wi-fi.

free coupons for drinks at the bar. when it comes to things like wi-fi, parking or resort fees, it's easier for them to waive those at check-out. hold off to get those freebies. you can probably roll your suitcase up to the room yourself. but tipping the bellboy to bring up your bag may be the best investment you can make. here's why. if you get to your room and don't like it, who knows the best rooms in the whole hotel? this guy. ask his advice. and call the front desk immediately to see if they can switch you. once in the room, if you're feeling germphobic, call housekeeping. and ask for green blankets or a clean comforter to be brought up. these things don't get washed often. and finally, the number one thing i forget to bring on trips, a phone charger. and it's funny because the number one thing left behind in hotel rooms, are phone chargers.

if you need one, call the front desk. and i'll bet you'll find the perfect cord to borrow. resting comfortably in a good hotel room, becky worley, abc news, san francisco. >> thank you for coming in. you risk negotiating over the cost of the room can work. >> it really can. it pays to phone the actual hotel. the online price, the online booking agency, often takes 30% commission from the hotel. if you call the manager directly and offer 20% less than the online price, you're both coming out ahead. >> and this works better with independent hotels than chains. >> the chains have less flexibility. >> it might make sense to make friends with the desk clerk and concierge when it comes to making reservations for dinner

and things like that. >> the concierge take a kick-back from the tourist traps. if you want to know the local beat, ask the hotel clerk or the bellboy. >> here's something i never would have thought of, at the end saying, i don't feel about paying for the wi-fi or the breakfast. correspondent you have to have a reason? >> in this economy, everything is negotiable. in the case of breakfast, if they offer a hot buffet, and with your room you get a free continental breakfast, can i just have the hot buffet with my room. and the hotel clerks told "reader's digest," they rarely say no to that. >> you're almost certain to get it. >> yeah. >> and on the wi-fi? >> as becky suggested, a smile help enormously. when you're checking in, they usually don't have the power to waive that fee. as you're checking out, and you go through the bill, they can

delete that line. and if you've been nice during your stay, who knows? when we come back, "deals and steals" for our deals. great bargains on kids' toys and clothes.

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tory, take it away. >> first up, an amazing company called magnetic baby. all of these clothes, infantwear, newborn to nine months. magnets instead of snaps and uncomfortable things opinion when you think back to when you had babies -- >> yeah. really quickly. >> that's -- that's okay. if we're not magnetizing our children? >> no. so super safe. >> don't put them in the refrigerator. >> you never know. >> and they're saving the world. >> it's all good. normally, these pieces range from $9 to $46. we slash them in half. >> all right, miss priss tutus, hello. >> look at that. >> so beautiful. all the tutus, made in america. yikes. okay. normally $25 to $35.

elastic waist, slashed in half at $12.50. with different patterns and sizes on the website. >> it's kate's 8th birthday. >> happy birthday, kate. >> kate can wear a chalkboard t-shirt to school. it comes with the little chalk. you can write social status on your shirt. >> i'm 8 years old. >> look at that. daddy loves sarina. and all made in america. look at the heart. oh. >> and these come from kids to adult xl. normally $27 to $32. slashed in half, starting at $13.50. >> you will love my daughter, sam. you will love her. >> check these out. sam, the umbrella guy. this is one of the biggest requests from "gma" viewers.

so many people -- >> come on. >> so many cute pieces to choose from. boots, hats, backpacks, you name it. amazing accessories from kidorable. slashed in half. last but not least. >> oh, my gosh. our friends at -- oh, my god. >> we have a man down. >> let me tell you what that is. there is -- >> we're sorry, new york. >> there is a video camera. there's a video camera in there. >> 35 police officers looking for sam champion. >> slashed by at least 50%. $29. >> i don't know.

where did sam go? anybody seen sam? >> josh, the worst part is, there's a video camera in there. >> oh, so, there's evidence? >> there's a video camera in here. there's four different models to choose from. >> really fun. boys love them of all ages. and we have five bonus deals you don't see here that you'll only get at goodmorningamerica.com. >> thank you to all of the companies providing the great deals. go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! we'll be back. hey, what are you drinkin'? pumpkin coffee for the morning. and i've got my pumpkin k-cup packs for at home. now i can have my pumpkin coffee any time i want it. pumpkin's perfect. it's dunkin' with the press of a button. new pumpkin k-cup packs, only at dunkin' restaurants. america ruruns on dunkin' coff. who move our country forward, work hard, raise families, and keep america strong. but mitt romney's budget plan will hurt the middle class, raising taxes on the average family by up to $2,000, while giving a tax break of $250,000 to multimillionaires.

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even knowing that the firm promoted its practice of exploiting... low-wage labor to its investors. mitt romney - tough on china? since when? i'm drinking dunkin'. i'm just in love with the flavor. i get mine black. i don't want to take away from that pure taste. so smooth, no bitterness. it's awesome. there's no other taste like it. america runs on dunkin' coffee.

and everybody in times square. jon stewart and bill o'reilly debating. going to charity. it's streaming online. 50% of all proceeds go to charity. and later this month, the night of too many stars, to fight autism. we'll have a lot of fun tomorrow. the cast of "clueless" on our all-star reunion. have a good day, everyone. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. it is 8:56. i am steve chenevy.

there is a non-contagious form of meningitis that is already killed four people, including in in virginia and one maryland. into thiss looking after two dozen people have gettingick after steroid injections, mostly for pain. they believe the asteroid -- they've identified the manufacture and have issued a recall. parents upset about arlington county schools transportation -- planned to speak out tonight at a school meeting. within a mile of half now must walk to school. parents say that is just too dangerous. .he meeting tonight check on the roads with angela foster. morning. thel a tough ride on beltway in maryland. just before

pennsylvania on the inner loop the roadway.f go all the way to pennsylvania avenue. and on the outer loop as to approach 95, in the left lane crash. a on 395, still have the slow. now let us see of the forecast is. good morning jacqui jeras. morning. cloudy start. are out of here. that is the good news. conditions will improve. at reagan national. 68 in gaithersburg. around 80rm up to degrees. sunshine peeking out this afternoon. g changes the temperatures for weekend. >> thank you. thank you for watching. noon.l be back at with a full wrap